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Netherlands work visa requirements for Indian citizens

For India passport holders · Checked 2026-08-15

Route with conditions

The Netherlands admits non-EU workers almost only through employers holding an IND 'recognised sponsor' licence who pay a fixed high salary floor — the employer applies, not you; the Netherlands is not on India's ECR list, so no eMigrate clearance applies.

What the employer must have

  • For the main route (highly skilled migrant / kennismigrant) the employer must be an IND-recognised sponsor and the EMPLOYER files the application — the worker cannot self-petition
  • The job must pay at least EUR 5,942 gross per month for workers 30 or older (EUR 4,357 under 30; reduced criterion EUR 3,122), excluding holiday allowance, at market rate — amounts valid 1 July–31 December 2026; the NL EU Blue Card needs EUR 5,942 (reduced EUR 4,754)
  • For ordinary (non-highly-skilled) jobs the single permit (GVVA) requires a UWV labour-market assessment — the employer must first show it sought candidates in the Netherlands and EU/EEA

What you must do before you leave

  1. Check that the employer appears in the IND public register of recognised sponsors before signing anything — without that licence the highly-skilled route is unavailable
  2. The employer applies for your permit; you attend the Dutch mission for the entry visa (MVV) collection when approved
  3. The Netherlands is NOT an ECR country — no eMigrate emigration clearance is needed even if your passport is ECR-stamped
  4. Deal only with registered recruiters — India's MEA has notified over 3,000 illegal recruitment agents on the eMigrate portal

Things to watch

  • IND republishes the required amounts every 1 January and 1 July — the figures above are valid 1 July through 31 December 2026 only; re-check the IND amounts page immediately before the employer applies.
  • The GVVA labour-market route exists on paper for ordinary jobs but is only granted where the employer demonstrates no Dutch/EU candidate is available — treat it as rarely usable for typical vacancies
  • The ECR (emigration check) rules here are confirmed on mea.gov.in; emigrate.gov.in has the current details.

What you may lawfully be charged

THE MOST A REGISTERED RECRUITING AGENT MAY LAWFULLY CHARGE YOU is ₹30,000 plus 18% GST — ₹35,400 in total, once. Not per year, not per document.

Rule 25(1), Emigration Rules under the Emigration Act 1983.

⚠️ Never pay anyone for a job offer or a visa on this route. Legitimate employers and licensed agents do not charge workers for jobs.

Official sources

This describes the immigration system, not your personal case, and not this specific vacancy.

Common questions

Can an Indian passport holder work in the Netherlands?

The Netherlands admits non-EU workers almost only through employers holding an IND 'recognised sponsor' licence who pay a fixed high salary floor — the employer applies, not you; the Netherlands is not on India's ECR list, so no eMigrate clearance applies.

What does an employer in the Netherlands need before hiring a Indian worker?

For the main route (highly skilled migrant / kennismigrant) the employer must be an IND-recognised sponsor and the EMPLOYER files the application — the worker cannot self-petition The job must pay at least EUR 5,942 gross per month for workers 30 or older (EUR 4,357 under 30; reduced criterion EUR 3,122), excluding holiday allowance, at market rate — amounts valid 1 July–31 December 2026; the NL EU Blue Card needs EUR 5,942 (reduced EUR 4,754) For ordinary (non-highly-skilled) jobs the single permit (GVVA) requires a UWV labour-market assessment — the employer must first show it sought candidates in the Netherlands and EU/EEA

What must a Indian citizen do before leaving to work in the Netherlands?

Check that the employer appears in the IND public register of recognised sponsors before signing anything — without that licence the highly-skilled route is unavailable The employer applies for your permit; you attend the Dutch mission for the entry visa (MVV) collection when approved The Netherlands is NOT an ECR country — no eMigrate emigration clearance is needed even if your passport is ECR-stamped Deal only with registered recruiters — India's MEA has notified over 3,000 illegal recruitment agents on the eMigrate portal

What should Indian workers watch out for with the Netherlands job offers?

IND republishes the required amounts every 1 January and 1 July — the figures above are valid 1 July through 31 December 2026 only; re-check the IND amounts page immediately before the employer applies. The GVVA labour-market route exists on paper for ordinary jobs but is only granted where the employer demonstrates no Dutch/EU candidate is available — treat it as rarely usable for typical vacancies The ECR (emigration check) rules here are confirmed on mea.gov.in; emigrate.gov.in has the current details.

Should I pay an agent for a job in the Netherlands?

No. Never pay anyone for a job offer, a visa, or a place on a list. Legitimate recruitment for this route does not require the worker to pay for the job itself. Verify any agent against the official registers linked on this page.

Other countries Indian citizens can work in

All work visa guides

32 live Netherlands vacancies for Indian workers

From job boards and overseas-employment registers. We do not yet hold India's own national register for this country, so these are not nationality-filtered.

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